Implementation surges in stretch, runs away with Smile Sprint
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Implementation, a 6-year-old gelding trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., fired fresh off yet another layoff to win the $75,000 Smile Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.
The versatile runner saved all the ground stalking on the rail and ran off in the stretch to win by two lengths.
After winning his first stakes race, the $150,000 Army Mule, off a two-month layoff in March, Implementation returned to Gulfstream off an even longer break to win the Smile Sprint. Typically a deep closer, jockey Edgard Zayas decided to make the most of his inside post position Saturday and kept him much closer to the pacesetters.
“You would want that kind of trip with him, but we didn’t know if he would have that kind of speed,” Joseph said. “He had gone six [furlongs] twice for us before and had run decent, but never as good. I think he’s just a better horse this year.”
Early on, the gelding settled into third on the rail behind front-runner Air Combat through an opening quarter-mile in 22.30. The Jose D’Angelo horse paired up his first quarter with an identical second, completing the half-mile in 44.60. He didn’t last much longer on the front end, as Zayas angled out with Implementation on the far turn and easily pulled ahead to lead by a half-length at the top of the stretch.
Runner-up El Principito, the 2-1 favorite trained by Gerald Bennett, closed from last with a perfect trip up the rail, but some trips are more perfect than others. Implementation was already too far ahead by the time he came calling and easily kept him at bay, finishing the six-furlong sprint on a sealed muddy track in 1:09.95. He paid $6.40 to win.
Shaq Diesel, a 5-year-old horse trained by David Fawkes, kept on in the six-horse field to finish third, 1 1/2 lengths behind El Principito.
Despite winning his second stakes race on dirt at Gulfstream, Implementation’s diverse past performances suggest that he can go in several directions in the second half of his 6-year-old campaign.
Once a synthetic runner based in France, he is also undefeated in two starts on the turf at Kentucky Downs. Joseph is eager to give him another chance over that course soon. He’s not sure if the gelding can get into the field for the Grade 2 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint on Aug. 30, but he believes his gelding deserves the chance.
Prevent wins Soldier's Dancer
When trainer Carlos David shared his plan to rate Prevent, a new arrival to his barn, in the $75,000 Soldier’s Dancer Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, Brian Coehlo, co-owner of BC Racing LLC, had two words for him.
“I told Brian I would like him to sit second,” David said. “This is the first time he runs with me, and [Brian] knows him better than I do. He said, ‘good luck.’”
Sure enough, with Zayas aboard for his second stakes victory of the day, the 4-year-old colt hustled to the early lead on the synthetic and never looked back, paying $14.40 to win. In his first race for David out of Juan Alvarado’s barn, he earned his first stakes victory coming off a four-month layoff.
“I wasn’t comfortable at all,” David said. “The plan was not to go to the lead, but I guess he’s just hard to rate. He just runs through everything.”
Prevent didn’t have the lead to himself at first, as 24-1 longshot I Know I Know and speedy colt Tocayo were both forwardly placed on either side of him into the first turn.
Zayas and his colt were not going to be denied, however, and kicked clear to lead by a length through a quarter-mile in 23.63 seconds. He extended to lead by 1 1/2 lengths through a half in 46.58 and maintained that margin on the far turn and into the stretch.
There were several points where it seemed like Prevent might begin to fall back to the serious contenders in the Soldier’s Dancer, but the colt’s chances improved significantly when those contenders didn’t make serious bids.
Just a Photo, the 3-2 favorite, moved forward on the far turn but flattened out in the stretch, while 9-5 second choice Relampago Verde never fired. The stalkers were struggling to keep up and the closers weren’t coming quickly enough.
By the time Prevent crossed the line, the seven rivals behind him were of no real consequence. Several runners were bunched together vying for minor prizes, but he had successfully given them the slip. Zayas asked him for a little more in the final furlong and he responded, drifting toward the outer rail on the way to a 3 1/2-length victory. He finished the mile and 70 yards in 1:39.31.
Kalik, a 17-1 gelding trained by Carlos Narvaez, closed from fifth to win a three-way photo for second ahead of I Know I Know and Just a Photo. The $1 exacta paid $98.40, while the 50-cent trifecta paid $329.
David said he has no plans for Prevent just yet, as he wasn’t expecting this sort of performance off a layoff. Far from a stakes victory, David said he was originally hoping to find a conditioned allowance for his first start back. He considers it a good problem to have.
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